From a Box Brownie, to the latest digital gear, it is all just tools, or a means of stating who we are, at various points in time. The sophistication of our images has more to do with our personal growth, than the equipment that we acquire along the way.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Self Taught Astronomer

This postings is a kind of segue to my next blog site. I will not be posting anymore from North Bay, as we are relocating to Windsor, Ontario. I am retired now, and I hope after getting settled in, that I will be able to start a new blog site showing mainly Black & White Portraiture, and scenics. I am not going to delete this blog site for a while yet, but will link it to the new one, so that those interested in Black & White Portraiture, and scenics, etc., may view it as well.

This gentleman, was a self taught astronomer, who worked in an iron foundry in New Liskeard, Ontario. He built his telescope himself, using brass tubing, plastic medicine containers, and old discarded lipstick tubes. And the photos that he took with his attached Olympus 35 mm camera were utterly incredible. He knew which film to use, for what heavenly body he was photographing. They rivaled anything you would see in any astronomey publication, or National Geographic even. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph him before he passed away a few years ago. He was so very interesting to talk to, and stories were told of him taking his daughters, and neice and nephew, down to the nearby swamp, to collect some water. They would all go back to his home, and view the "swamp creatures" under his microscope. The man should have been a science teacher. But he worked in an iron foundry, and was content to have a job, and raise his family. It allowed him to do what he enjoyed doing, when he wasn't working.....star gazing, or looking at critters under his microscope. Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the life of a very intelligent man.

Camera: Minolta Maxxum 9

Lens: 35 ~ 105mm zoom

Lighting: On camera, Maxxum 5400 HS Flash with bounce card for fill, and Metz 60 CT into silver umbrella for main light.

Hi Ed,Thanks for looking in on my humble blog. I love shooting in Black & White, but have not done so for quite a while now. Hoping to do so before too much longer. I have found that to get people to relax, is just to be relaxed yourself. You get back what you give out. I usually get my best shots when I don't try too hard, or let myself get in the way.....Dave

Thanks for the advice Dave. It's funny, one of my subjects at work said the very same thing to me. She basically was saying that I had to relax and pay more attention to my subjects. I need to do a series of "executive" portraits soon, so I better start my deep breathing exercises soon :)

Hi Ed,Try not to be intimidated by executive types. They are just ordinary people with important jobs. Often times, they find it to be somewhat refreshing to be treated like the ordinary people they really are. Just be you. Dave

Blomidon Boy's Blog

About Me

I was born in Deer Lake, on the western coast of Newfoundland in 1943. It was a privilege to grow up in the City of Corner Brook, Bay of Islands, Newfoundland. Moved to Ontario in 1962, and to North Bay in 1973 where we chose to raise our family. I was introduced to photography mainly by Mike de Moree and the late Jack Shepherd while living in North Bay. I am presently retired in Windsor, Ontario, where I can be close to my family again. My photography is for my personal pleasure, and hopefully it will help make my retirement years more meaningful to me and others as well.
Hope you enjoy.
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